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At least 757 records · Page 42

On the coronae of rapidly rotating stars. III - An improved coronal rotation-activity relation in late type dwarfs

While it has previously been claimed that X-ray luminosity, or surface flux, varies as a power of the rotational velocity in G dwarfs, it is demonstrated that a single power law does not provide an acceptable fit to all the data. The data are describable by a power law, with a break in slope near a 12-day period which occurs at the same rotational period as the bifurcation in Vaughan and Preston's (1980) chromospheric study of G dwarfs. It is speculated that the two breaks are both related and due to a change in the stellar dynamo mode, which, at a rotation period of 12 days, corresponds to an age of one billion years for single G dwarfs.

Walter, F. M.↗

Stellar model chromospheres. XIII - M dwarf stars

Single-component, homogeneous model chromospheres that are consistent with high-resolution profiles of the Ca II K line calibrated in surface flux units for three dMe and 2 dM stars observed at quiescent times are constructed. The models reveal several systematic trends. Large values of the ratio of T(min) to T(eff) are derived, indicating a large amount of nonradiative heating present in the upper photospheres of M dwarf stars. It is also found that the lower chromospheric temperature gradient is similar for all the M dwarf stars. Since for the models here the chromospheric K line emission strength is most sensitive to the total amount of chromospheric material present within the approximate temperature range T(min)-6000 K, increasing the emission strength is not simply due to increasing chromospheric temperature gradients. It is also found that both the electron density and electron temperature at one thermalization length in the K line below the top of the chromospheres are greater in the dMe stars than in the dM stars. The M dwarf models here have microturbulent velocities between 1 and 2 km/sec, which are much smaller than for solar chromosphere models.

Giampapa, M. S.↗

Outer atmospheres of cool stars. XII - A survey of IUE ultraviolet emission line spectra of cool dwarf stars

Quantitative information is obtained on the chromospheres and transition regions of M dwarf stars, in order to determine how the outer atmospheres of dMe stars differ from dM stars and how they compare with the outer atmospheres of quiet and active G and K type dwarfs. IUE spectra of six dMe and four dM stars, together with ground-based photometry and spectroscopy of the Balmer and Ca II H and K lines, show no evidence of flares. It is concluded, regarding the quiescent behavior of these stars, that emission-line spectra resemble that of the sun and contain emission lines formed in regions with 4000-20,000 K temperatures that are presumably analogous to the solar chromosphere, as well as regions with temperatures of 20,000-200,000 K that are presumably analogous to the solar transition region. Emission-line surface fluxes are proportional to the emission measure over the range of temperatures at which the lines are formed.

Linsky, J. L.↗

Outer atmospheres of cool stars. XIII - Capella at critical phases

The results are presented of a program of high-dispersion spectroscopy of Capella at critical orbital phases utilizing the International Ultraviolet Explorer. The considered program had the objective to establish as carefully as possible the relative ultraviolet emission levels of the Capella primary and secondary in order to obtain an understanding regarding the nature of their chromospheres and coronae. The results of the program confirm the earlier study of the Capella by Ayres and Linsky (1980), which was limited to orbital phases 0.50 and 0.75. Both programs found that the Capella secondary is considerably brighter than the primary, in surface flux, in all of the prominent far-ultraviolet emissions, particularly the high-excitation CII-CIV lines. In addition, the present study has revealed several puzzling aspects of the system. It is concluded that the Capella primary is comparatively bright, for a yellow giant, in far-ultraviolet and perhaps also in soft X-ray normalized fluxes. The implications of this conclusion are evaluated.

Ayres, T. R.↗

Accomplishments of the NASA Johnson Space Center portion of the soil moisture project in fiscal year 1981

The NASA/JSC ground scatterometer system was used in a row structure and row direction effects experiment to understand these effects on radar remote sensing of soil moisture. Also, a modification of the scatterometer system was begun and is continuing, to allow cross-polarization experiments to be conducted in fiscal years 1982 and 1983. Preprocessing of the 1978 agricultural soil moisture experiment (ASME) data was completed. Preparations for analysis of the ASME data is fiscal year 1982 were completed. A radar image simulation procedure developed by the University of Kansas is being improved. Profile soil moisture model outputs were compared quantitatively for the same soil and climate conditions. A new model was developed and tested to predict the soil moisture characteristic (water tension versus volumetric soil moisture content) from particle-size distribution and bulk density data. Relationships between surface-zone soil moisture, surface flux, and subsurface moisture conditions are being studied as well as the ways in which measured soil moisture (as obtained from remote sensing) can be used for agricultural applications.

Paris, J. F.↗

GCM sensitivity to 1982 - 1983 equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies

The response of the GLAS climate model to the much larger 1982-83 sea surface temperatures (SST) anomalies is discussed. Two separate 75 day experiments (control and anomaly simulation pairs) were started from observed initial conditions on 16 Dec. 1982 and initial conditions on 16 Dec. 1979 taken from a 2 year model control run after one year of simulation, respectively. The January control and anomaly SST fields used in both experiments are given. Notable is the greatly extended region of very warm (approximately equal to 29 C) SST water in the anomaly simulation. The January SST anomaly field is representative of the other months of the experiments, all of which had a much larger region of very warm SST in the anomaly simulation than in the previously noted general circulation model studies. The model used is an improved version of the GLAS B-grid GCM used by Shukla and Wallace (1983). The most important physical change in the model is the inclusion of the surface flux parameterization of Deardorff (1972) as modified by Randall (1976). An important improvement in the model simulations is the removal of the climate drift towards unrealistically high temperatures in the tropics, which was moted by Shukla and Wallace (1983).

Fennessy, M. J.↗

Ultraviolet and optical observations of metal deficient red giants and chromospheric models

Three metal deficient field stars were observed in the ultraviolet and optical spectral regions: HD 165195, HD 110281, and HD 232078. High dispersion spectra near H alpha, and low dispersion, long wavelength IUE spectra were obtained. The H alpha profiles have strong asymmetric emission with absorption cores that are frequently asymmetric. The surface flux of Mg II lines is similar to that of luminous Pop I stars in spite of the lower metal abundance. Semi-empirical atmospheric models suggest that the characteristic emission in the wings of the H alpha line can arise within static chromospheres. Radial expansion gives an asymmetric, blue-shifted H alpha core accompanied by greater emission in the red line wing than the blue wing. Wind models with extended atmospheres suggest mass loss rates - 2 billion M/yr. Thus H alpha provides no evidence that steady mass loss is substantial enough to significantly affect the evolution of stars on the red giant branch of globular clusters.

Duprele, A. K.↗

Analysis of large solid propellant rocket engine exhaust plumes using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method

A new solution procedure has been developed to analyze the flowfield properties in the vicinity of the Inertial Upper Stage/Spacecraft during the 1st stage (SRMI) burn. Continuum methods are used to compute the nozzle flow and the exhaust plume flowfield as far as the boundary where the breakdown of translational equilibrium leaves these methods invalid. The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is applied everywhere beyond this breakdown boundary. The flowfield distributions of density, velocity, temperature, relative abundance, surface flux density, and pressure are discussed for each species for 2 sets of boundary conditions: vacuum and freestream. The interaction of the exhaust plume and the freestream with the spacecraft and the 2-stream direct interaction are discussed. The results show that the low density, high velocity, counter flowing free-stream substantially modifies the flowfield properties and the flux density incident on the spacecraft. A freestream bow shock is observed in the data, located forward of the high density region of the exhaust plume into which the freestream gas does not penetrate. The total flux density incident on the spacecraft, integrated over the SRM1 burn interval is estimated to be of the order of 10 to the 22nd per sq m (about 1000 atomic layers).

Hueser, J. E.↗

Cage Regional Energy Budgets from the GLAS 4TH Order Model

The status and future plans of a study to (1) assess the accuracy of regional energy balance calculations obtained from the 4th-order model, (2) determine the impact of satellite data on the calculations, and (3) determine their utility for ocean energy transport studies are discussed. An equation is presented which models the vertically-integrated, time and areally-averaged total energy content of a region of the atmosphere extending from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. All of the terms of the equation were evaluated using early versions of the GLAS FGGE IIIb analysis, and analysis with satellite data deleted. Results show that the budget is dominated by the surface fluxes, net radiation, and horizontal atmospoheric divergence.

Herman, G. F.↗

Radiometer experiment for the aeroassist flight experiment

A forthcoming NASA flight experiment is described that provides an opportunity to obtain a large base of radiometric data for high-altitude, high-velocity thermochemically nonequilibrated-flow conditions. As a preliminary to the design of a radiometer for this experiment, an approximate method for predicting both equilibrium and nonequilibrium radiative surface fluxes is described. Spectral results for one trajectory state, a velocity of 10 km/sec at an altitude of 85 km, are presented. These results are then used to develop some of the instrument parameters that will be needed for designing of the three genre of radiometers that are proposed for this experiment.

Davy, W. C.↗

Stellar activity in synchronized binaries. I - Dependence on rotation

A large sample of late-type binaries with orbital periods from 1 to 100 days has been examined for relationships between stellar activity and rotation period (assumed - with a few exceptions - to be synchronized with the stellar orbital period). Most of the systems are in the RS Canum Venaticorum class of close binaries; none are contact binaries. The activity diagnostics were observed with the IUE and the Einstein Observatory and range from the mid-chromosphere to the corona. There is a dependence of activity on rotation in the synchronized binaries; surface flux is the preferable measure of activity and is best when steps are taken to remove variations in activity filling factors.

Basri, G.↗

A new convective parameterization scheme for global models

A convective adjustment scheme is presented for parameterization of the vertical temperature and moisture structure for large-scale numerical weather models. The temperature and moisture structure is adjusted toward observed quasi-equilibrium structures to maintain a realistic vertical temperature and moisture structure in grid-scale global models during convection. Two reference thermodynamic structures are modeled analytically to account for shallow and deep convection. The thermodynamic structure obtained is permitted to change as a function of large-scale advective terms, radiation and surface fluxes. The reference profiles are applied when an energy integral provides a description of the shallow or deep convective processes occurring. Comparisons with GATE, BOMEX and ATEX data and a 10 day forecast for weather over the tropical ocean illustrate the climate and precipitation forecast accuracy improvements available with the adjustment scheme relative to standard parameterization schemes.

Miller, M. J.↗

Downward longwave surface radiation from sun-synchronous satellite data - Validation of methodology

An extensive study has been carried out to validate a satellite technique for estimating downward longwave radiation at the surface. The technique, mostly developed earlier, uses operational sun-synchronous satellite data and a radiative transfer model to provide the surface flux estimates. The satellite-derived fluxes were compared directly with corresponding ground-measured fluxes at four different sites in the United States for a common one-year period. This provided a study of seasonal variations as well as a diversity of meteorological conditions. Dome heating errors in the ground-measured fluxes were also investigated and were corrected prior to the comparisons. Comparison of the monthly averaged fluxes from the satellite and ground sources for all four sites for the entire year showed a correlation coefficient of 0.98 and a standard error of estimate of 10 W/sq m. A brief description of the technique is provided, and the results validating the technique are presented.

Darnell, W. L.↗

A diagnostic study of baroclinic disturbances in polar air streams

Quasi-Lagrangian budgets of mass, vorticity and heat are calculated following disturbances that form within polar air streams. Observed cases are extracted from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts analyses during the First GARP Global Experiment. Model-generated cases are extracted from the simulations of extratropical cyclogenesis by Sandgathe. These polar lows grow primarily through basic baroclinic instability processes and exhibit many features of larger maritime extratropical cyclones. Polar lows that originate on the poleward (or Cyclonic - Type C) side of the jet and have considerable midtropospheric positive vorticity advection at formation time are contrasted with lows that form on the equatorward (or Anticyclonic - Type A) side of a nearly straight upper-level jet. The midtropospheric positive vorticity advection must be present to enhance the vertical circulation when the large surface fluxes that are associated with strong outbreaks act to damp the thermal wave amplification. Although latent heat release is an important factor in both types, it is an essential energy source for the Type A low developments on the equatorward side. Although the vorticity balance is initially different for the two types of polar lows, the vorticity budgets during later stages are similar. The heat budget and the thickness tendency equation demonstrated that the self-development process that is present in larger maritime cyclones is also important for polar low intensification. The absence of favorable coupling to a jet stream is the missing factor in a model-generated Type A polar low that failed to develop. Consequently, the mid- and upper-tropospheric wind fields determine which polar lows will intensify to significant amplitudes.

Sinclair, Mark R.↗

X-ray sources in regions of star formation. II - The pre-main-sequence G star HDE 283572

This paper reports the detection of HDE 283572, a ninth-magnitude G star 8 arcmin south of RY Tau, as a bright X-ray source. The observations reveal this object to be a fairly massive (about 2 solar masses) pre-main-sequence star associated with the Taurus-Auriga star formation complex. It exhibits few of the characteristics of the classical T Tauri stars and is a good example of a 'naked' T Tauri star. The star is a mid-G subgiant, of about three solar radii and rotates with a period of 1.5 d. The coronal and chromospheric surface fluxes are similar to those of the most active late type stars (excluding T Tauri stars). The X-ray and UV lines most likely arise in different atmospheric structures. Radiative losses are some 1000 times the quiet solar value and compare favorably with those of T Tauri stars.

Walter, F. M.↗

Rotational modulation and flares on RS CVn and BY Dra stars. III - IUE observations of V711 Tau (= HR 1099), II Peg, and AR Lac

Observations of three RS CVn stars, which were obtained over the stellar rotation cycles with the IUE satellite, are presented. Emission lines from high-temperature transition regions and chromospheres analogous to those observed in the solar spectrum were observed. The only visible component of II Peg and both components of V711 Tau and AR Lac appear to be chromospherically active. For the latter systems, the Mg II line surface flux from the G-type star is higher than that from the K subgiant, which dominates the observed UV line flux. Moreover, evidence of long-term ultraviolet variability is presented for AR Lac. The emission line fluxes for II Peg and, marginally, for the other two systems were observed to vary in antiphase with the optical variations at the time of the IUE observations. By comparing the results of Rodono et al. (1986) for two-spot models with the variation of UV line flux, evidence of a close spatial correlation between spot and plagelike features is found.

Rodono, M.↗

Trace gas measurements from tethered balloon platforms

Instrumentation and chemical sampling and analysis procedures are described for making measurements of atmospheric carbon disulfide in the concentration range 1-1000 pptv from tethered balloon platforms. Results of a study on the CS2 composition of air downward of a saltwater marsh are reported. A method for obtaining the necessary data for solving the budget equations for surface fluxes, chemical formation rates and chemical destruction rates using data acquired from tethered balloon platforms is presented.

Bandy, Alan R.↗

Detection of X-ray emission from the young low-mass star Rossiter 137B

Rst 137B, a close M-dwarf companion to the active K-star HD 36705, has been detected in a High Resolution Image in the Einstein Observatory Archive. The X-ray surface fluxes (0.2-4 keV) from both stars are close to the empirical saturation level, F(x)/F(bol) of about 0.001, defined by rapid rotators and very young stars. This supports the earlier results of the youthfulness of the system. This young couple is an excellent subject for studies of dependence of early evolution on stellar mass. Rst 137B is one of the latest spectral types and thus lowest-mass premain-sequence stars yet detected as an X-ray source.

Vilhu, O.↗